Drinking honey water, consuming pollen, keeping pets… many “allergy warriors” are trying various folk remedies and tactics in their battle against allergies. Are their efforts in vain?
Why are you allergic while others are not?
Allergies can be said to be increasingly common. It is estimated that there are tens of millions of allergy sufferers in China. To understand allergies, one must first understand the “allergen,” which is the factor that triggers allergies, including foods (such as wheat, soybeans, peanuts, eggs, etc.), inhalants (such as pollen, dust mites, etc.), microorganisms (such as bacteria, fungi, etc.), insect toxins, drugs (such as sulfa, penicillin), etc.
Everyone’s constitution is different, and allergens vary. Additionally, the occurrence of allergies is also related to individual internal factors, namely allergic constitution. Therefore, under the same conditions, some people may be prone to allergies, while others may not. In clinical practice, it is also common to see cases where parents are not allergic, but their children are, which stems from differences in the child’s development and the parents’ constitution.
It’s worth noting that long-term unhealthy habits, such as drinking alcohol, smoking heavily, staying up late, irregular eating habits, etc., may disrupt the body’s immune system, thereby increasing the risk of allergies.
Among the types of allergic reactions, the most common is Type I allergic reaction, also known as immediate hypersensitivity reaction or allergy. It is a reaction that occurs within seconds or minutes after the body comes into contact with an allergen.
When our body’s immune system encounters an allergen for the first time, it recognizes it as an “enemy,” secretes and releases antibodies (proteins), especially immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, and forms a memory in the body. Once exposed to this allergen again, a large amount of allergen-specific IgE antibodies will be released to capture the allergen, leading to the release of a series of chemical substances, causing vasodilation, increased vascular permeability, and smooth muscle contraction, resulting in allergic symptoms such as rash, itching, runny nose, sneezing, difficulty breathing, etc.
Currently, whether it is allergic rhinitis or allergic asthma and other allergic diseases, they are treatable. Experts suggest not to worry too much about allergies, let alone become anxious because anxiety is also an important factor in triggering allergies. Excessive anxiety may stimulate the body’s immune response. Everyone should face allergies squarely and deal with them scientifically.
Is there a relationship between aging and allergies?
There is a certain relationship. With aging, changes occur in the body’s immune system, skin condition, living environment, etc., which may affect the occurrence of allergic reactions.
In clinical practice, cases where someone was normal before but started experiencing allergies at the age of forty or fifty can be observed. This is because allergic reactions involve multi-gene inheritance and usually do not occur quickly after birth. Influenced by genetic factors, multiple gene loci and regions of patients are related to susceptibility to allergies. Usually, under the same environment, they are more prone to allergic reactions than others, leading to allergic diseases.
In addition to genetic factors, environmental factors also play an important role. Overly clean environments reduce the incidence of infectious diseases, and polluted environments (exposure to PM2.5, PM10), excessive stress, and other external factors may cause the body’s immune system to become overly sensitive, leading to allergic reactions. Therefore, to prevent and reduce the formation of allergic constitution, attention should be paid to both the role of genetic factors and the influence of environmental factors.
There is a type of elderly rhinitis that occurs in people over 65 years old. Such patients do not typically have allergic rhinitis when they are young, but they develop clinical symptoms at a certain age. The common symptoms are mainly watery nasal discharge, and other symptoms are relatively mild. The main reason is that the sensitivity of the nasal cavity nerves of the elderly changes, with increased sensitivity of the parasympathetic nerves, resulting in rhinitis mainly characterized by watery discharge. The use of anticholinergic agents can effectively relieve nasal discharge symptoms.
Can exposure to nature help “fight allergies”?
The increased prevalence of allergies is largely due to excessively clean environments. Early studies have also found that children raised on farms, living in environments filled with natural microorganisms and dust, which are not very sanitary, actually train their immune systems and enhance their ability to resist allergies, resulting in a lower likelihood of developing allergies.
Research has confirmed that the preschool period, especially infancy, is an important time for the formation of a child’s immune system. Early exposure of the immune system to antigens (whether natural or artificial) can easily lead to lifelong or long-term tolerance, where environmental stimuli are considered “friendly.” On the other hand, exposure to unfamiliar allergens in adulthood can activate excessive immune responses.
Conversely, if the environment is excessively clean and lacks necessary microbial stimulation, the immune system will recognize it as abnormal substances, leading to a series of excessive reactions, resulting in allergies. Therefore, increasing exposure to the natural environment during early childhood may reduce the likelihood of allergies in the future.
However, experts caution that this does not mean that all children can avoid allergies in this way. For allergy issues, it is still necessary to consider multiple factors comprehensively and take appropriate preventive and treatment measures.
In addition, many studies have found that excessive use of antibacterial products and cleaners can disrupt the microbial balance on the skin, damage the skin’s epithelial barrier function, making the skin more susceptible to external stimuli and infections, and is associated with various allergic diseases of the skin and mucous membranes. Therefore, to maintain a healthy immune system and avoid allergic reactions, it is advisable to avoid excessive cleaning and the excessive use of antibacterial products while maintaining appropriate hygiene and cleanliness.
Can raising pets for children prevent allergies?
Not necessarily. Many studies abroad believe that early exposure to pets can reduce the risk of children developing allergies. However, there is currently no particularly clear research on this topic domestically.
However, clinically, some children may still develop allergies after exposure to pets, possibly because the environments we live in are different. Compared to the confined spaces of urban apartments, the concentration of various allergens brought by pets in relatively open and spacious environments such as farms is relatively low, reducing the likelihood of allergies.
In addition, fish, birds, or other reptiles may also cause allergic reactions.
Can consuming probiotics reduce allergies?
The intestinal microbiota is a complex ecosystem composed of various bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, which play important physiological functions in the human body, such as participating in food digestion, synthesizing vitamins, and resisting foreign pathogens.
As urbanites, we mostly consume sterilized and disinfected food purchased from supermarkets. Over time, the diversity of intestinal flora, which should be flourishing, becomes increasingly uniform, disrupting the balance of intestinal flora and allowing harmful bacteria to proliferate, thereby causing intestinal problems.
Under the modern lifestyle, probiotics have received widespread attention and praise for their benefits in improving gut health, enhancing immunity, and promoting nutrient absorption.
Can probiotics be used to increase the gut flora and prevent allergies? Currently, there are only a few experiments, and there is not yet support from large-scale studies.
In general, consuming probiotics may help reduce allergies to some extent, but it cannot be considered a standardized treatment for allergies.
Does drinking honey or consuming pollen enhance allergy resistance?
Indeed, there are some folk remedies for allergy prevention. For example, drinking honey or consuming pollen in small amounts multiple times employs a “like treats like” strategy to prevent allergies. However, there is no clear scientific consensus on this method.
Honey has been traditionally considered a nutritious food and medicine with anti-inflammatory, expectorant, lung-nourishing, and cough-suppressing effects. Many believe that honey contains trace amounts of bee venom and pollen grains, and consuming honey gradually may help the body accept pollen and reduce allergy occurrence.
Honey is a natural food made by bees from flower nectar and processed in the hive. It contains rich nutrients such as sugars, vitamins, and minerals. Pollen, on the other hand, is the male reproductive cells of plants, spread by wind or insects.
Although honey has some anti-allergic effects, it is not a panacea for treating allergic reactions. While honey and pollen are related to flowers, they do not directly cause pollen allergies. Pollen allergies usually occur when the body has an allergic reaction to specific plant pollen, leading to discomfort symptoms in the respiratory tract, skin, or digestive system.
For pollen allergy sufferers, it is essential to understand and avoid their allergens.
Can exercising improve allergy constitution?
Allergies are usually caused by individuals having an allergic constitution, which may be a specific constitution formed on the basis of congenital inheritance or a result of a decline in the body’s immunity. Since allergies are related to various factors such as genetics and the environment, they cannot usually be cured.
Regular exercise can enhance the body’s immunity, improve the body’s ability to resist external allergens, and help improve the allergic constitution. However, avoiding contact with allergens is more important. It is also necessary to actively cooperate with doctors for treatment and pay attention to daily care to improve allergy symptoms and reduce the probability of allergy attacks.
